Fuel tank filler neck construction



Sept. 8, 1936. B. H. ANIBAL ET Al.

FUELUTANK FILLER4 NECK CONSTRUCTION Filed Feb. 19, 1934 Patented Sept.8, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Benjamin H.

tiac, Mich., assgnors Anibal and John W. Leggat, Ponto General MotorsCorporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Dela- Wavre ApplicationFebruary 19, 1934, Serial No. 711,904

3 Claims.

In automobiles of today, the fuel tank is usually hung at the back ofthe chassis frame and under the rear end of the body. This necessitatesa rather long filler spout, which for convenience,

5 as well as for design reasons, enters a side wall of the tank, andconsequently, discharges at a point below the average liquid level. Inorder to prevent theft by siphoning of gasoline through the filler neck,it is here proposed to provide the tube with a check valve againstliquid flow from the tank into the tube and with an obstruction, which,while allowing free iiow of liquid, blocks the insertion of a Siphonhose or other instrument to open the check valve and enter the tank.

A better understanding of the invention will be had upon reference tothe accompanying drawing, wherein Figure 1 is a fragm-entary sideelevation of the fuel tank at the rear of a motor vehicle; and Figure 2is a detailed sectional view showing the discharge end of the ller spoutas taken on line 2-2 of Figure 1.

In the drawing, the reference character I indicates the fuel storagetank suspended from the chassis frame 2 and concealed under the body 3.The filler spout or tube 4, as shown in the drawing, may extend upwardlyfrom one side of the tank and through the rear panel of the body 3,where it is closed by a removable cap 5. Its lower end extends throughand is mounted upon the end wall 6 of the tank l. For this purpose thewall of the tube 4 is provided with a peripheral flange 1, formed bybending the wall upon itself, and this ange is seated upon and welded toa depressed annular rim 8 at the opening in the wall through which thetube extends.

The reversely bent portions providing the flange 'l are utilized alsofor the purpose of securing in place the peripheral edge of a screen orperforate wall 9 extending across the interior of the tube. It is to benoted that the wall 9, while blocking the tube against the passagetherethrough of a hose or the like, is sufficiently far away from theouter end of the tube as not to interfere with the insertion of the hosenozzle of a gasoline pump.

The discharge end of the tube projecting through the wall and beyond thescreen 9 is cut at an angle to the axis of the tube to provide aninclined seat for the check valve I0. This check valve may be in theform of a dished plate closing the tube and seating on the inclined edgeof the tube. A simple pivotal mounting for the valve consists of an earor tongue ll, reversely bent for projection through an opening l2 in theupper part of the tube.

(Cl. 22o-86) The dotted line position of the valve in Figure 2 shows itswung open to allow the passage of gasoline from the filler spout andinto the tank. Normally, the valve is held in its full line closedposition by its own weight and additionally by the weight of the liquidwhen the level within the tank is at or above average height. Thus thevalve not only eliminates violent surging and splashing of the liquidinto the ller spout, but it also affords an effective closure to checkow when a suction hose is inserted to the limit permitted by the screen9 and used to draw off fuel contained in the spout. In other words, thescreen blocks insertion of the hose to open the valve and the valveremains closed against ow to the hose. In this connection it may bepointed out that a positive seal is unnecessary. Any seepage around theflapper valve and into the filler neck would be too slow to encourage athief to wait for the filler neck to ll up several times in order to getthe small quantity of gasoline which could be obtained because ofleakage.

We claim:

1. Theft preventing means, including in combination with a fuel storagetank, a filler tube extending through an opening in a wall of the tankand having a portion of its wall bent upon itself to 'provideintermediate its ends a peripheral flange adapted to seat on themarginal portion of said wall opening, a perforate wall extending acrosssaid tube with its peripheral edge seated within the flange formed bysaid bent .wall portion, and a gravity operated valve normally closingthe discharge end of the tube and having an attachment ear pivotallymounted on the tube.

2. In a liquid fuel storage tank, a filling tube projecting through thewall of the tank and having a peripheral flange secured to the tankwall, said fiange comprising a portion of the tube wall bent uponitself, a foraminous obstruction inside the tube, secured peripherallybetween the reversely bent portion constituting said flange, and a oneway valve closing the tube beyond the foraminous obstruction.

3. A liquid storage tank having a filler pipe, which includes a sheetmetal tube having in the wall thereof an outwardly pressed peripheraldeformation affording an inwardly opening interior annular groove, and aguard located interiorly of the tube with its marginal portion seatedwithin said annular groove.

BENJAMIN H. ANIBAL. JOHN W. LEGGAT.

